


Home for the Holidays

by sublime42



Series: Daredevil Ageplay [6]
Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: Adorable Matt, Age Play, Baby!matt, Candy, Christmas, Diapers, Halloween, Holidays, Thanksgiving, daddy!foggy, mommy!karen, mommy!marci, non sexual age play, nsap, sugar rush - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-06 15:55:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16390709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sublime42/pseuds/sublime42
Summary: How Matty spends Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.Maybe read 3 Beds first to get an idea of how things work between all of the characters.





	1. Halloween (Hyper Matty)

Matt - adult Matt - hadn’t said anything outright about it, but Foggy had the feeling that he really wanted to celebrate the upcoming holiday. At least, the ‘Matty’ side of his personality wanted it. Foggy felt this way because of how Matt kept mentioning things like pumpkins, haunted houses and Halloween costumes.

One night, over dinner, they discussed it.

“If it was socially acceptable for adults to dress up for Halloween, like if you could do it and totally get away with it, what would you dress as?” Foggy had asked.

Matt thought the question over for all of a second.

“A cat, maybe.”

Foggy raised an eyebrow.

“A cat? Really?” Then again, it kind of made sense, if he considered it. Cats were fast, light on their feet, always jumping all over things, sort of like Matt in his Daredevil persona.

“A black cat.”

Foggy nodded in agreement and made a mental note to pick Matt up some cat ears as a joke.

00

And that was how they ended up in Foggy and Marci’s apartment, dressed up, waiting for trick or treaters to arrive and take the candy off their hands. Of everyone’s apartments, theirs got the most traction as far as trick or treaters was concerned, so they’d decided to have a little Halloween get together while they handed out candy.

Foggy’s hunch that Matt wanted to celebrate had also proved true when Matt started the day as Matty, insisting on dressing up for the day. 

So, there they were: Foggy and Marci dressed as Raggedy Ann and Andy, Karen as a vampire, and Matty in a full on black cat costume, complete with tail and ears. A huge bowl of candy sat on a table near the door, and Halloween music played over the speakers. Marci had even decorated their door with cobwebs and fake spiders.

Over and over the doorbell rang. Usually, Matty went up with one of the others to answer it. He had wanted to go out trick or treating - had really laid it on thick with the guilt over it, but Foggy couldn’t think of a way where it wasn’t creepy for someone nearing forty to be doing that, so he’d eventually settled for their get together.

“Trick or treat!” two kids, one dressed as a princess, the boy dressed as Spiderman said simultaneously.

Foggy grabbed the candy.

“Looks like we have… are you Elsa, from Frozen?” Foggy asked.

“Mhmm!” the little girl answered, holding out her bag.

Foggy placed a kitkat in it.

“That’s one of Matty’s favorite movies!”

The girl laughed, thinking it was silly that someone so old would like that movie, but Foggy wasn’t lying. He’d heard “Let it Go” so many times that he knew the words by heart.

“And Spiderman. Aren’t you supposed to be out saving the neighborhood?”

“It’s my night off,” the kid deadpanned. 

Foggy chuckled and gave him a Snickers.

“Happy Halloween, kids!” he called out as they walked away.

00

The night wore on in a similar fashion - Matty answering the door with whichever grownup was nearest, that person describing their costumes, and then giving out candy.

Just as daylight ended, Foggy noticed something peculiar: Matty was pacing. It wasn’t just a few times, he’d been doing it for the better part of an hour. It was odd, if only because Matty was typically fairly calm.

“Trying to wear a hole in the floor?” Foggy asked.

Matty sighed, exasperated.

“I’m bored. I wanna run.”

“Run? Really?”

“Really fast. I wanna go, Foggy. Can I go?”

“Uh. Well it’s kind of an odd request…”

His train of thought was broken by the sound of Marci’s voice.

“Okay, who left candy wrappers behind the couch?! The least you can do is use the garbage, guys!”

Foggy looked at her, then at Karen, who shrugged. It all clicked into place then.

“Matty, did you use your ninja skills to take the candy?”

“No…” Matty answered, continuing to pace. 

“So you didn’t steal like fifteen pieces of candy and eat them? Because I didn’t eat them, and Karen didn’t, and Twix are your favorite candy and those are all Twix wrappers there.”

Matty rolled his eyes.

“We won’t have enough trick or treaters, Foggy! It’s wrong to waste it.”

Foggy almost burst out laughing.

“So it’s wrong to waste Twix, but everything else in the bucket is okay.”

Matty sighed again and stomped his foot, clearly annoyed at how Foggy had backed him into a corner.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m not mad. Just next time, ask, and don’t hide the wrappers.”

“Fine! Can I run now?” Matty had started tapping his foot excitedly.

Foggy looked at Karen and Marci, unsure of what to say. When neither replied, he finally answered with what he felt might be the most responsible course of action.

“You can run around the block but I’m gonna follow you in my car. Got it?”

“Yes!” Matty jumped up and down. “Let’s go. Now. Come on!”

Foggy shook his head as he followed Matty out. Who knew that adults could get sugar highs?

00

Matty outpaced Foggy’s car by a long shot, if only because of the dense NYC traffic, not to mention the pedestrians. He had to constantly watch for cars and people while trying to keep an eye on Matty, who was running full force down the streets of Hell’s Kitchen.

Being NYC, people didn’t really look twice at a grown man wearing a cat costume running down the street, so at least they didn’t have that to worry about, but Foggy did wonder how bad the sugar crash was going to be if Matty was _this_ hyped up.

Matty ran around the block four times before he finally began to slow down to a jog. Once he started walking, Foggy double parked and made his way over. He was glad he didn’t wait in the car - Matty was breathing very heavily. It sounded almost as if he was hyperventilating, or gagging or something.

“Hey, hey, stop,” Foggy told him, grabbing Matty’s arm. “Quit moving. Why are you breathing like that?”

Matty stopped that instant, ‘looked’ Foggy straight in the eye, and proceeded to puke all over a bunch of garbage bags on the edge of the sidewalk.

“Oh, jeez,” Foggy groaned. “It’s all brown and gross.”

Nonetheless, he did his best to rub Matty’s back until he stopped heaving.

“Better now?” He questioned.

Matty’s nose was runny and his face was red, but he didn’t seem like he was about to get sick again.

“Yeah. It hurt my stomach,” he replied, looking almost guilty.

“It’s my fault. I should’ve considered that it might happen. And at least you didn’t puke on anyone else. Let’s get you home, you can spend the night at our place.”

Matty nodded and made his way to Foggy’s car, letting Foggy lead him as they walked.

00

Around nine the trick or treaters finally tapered off completely. Matty was still awake, and looking much better now that Marci had made him brush his teeth and wash up. He was sitting on the couch next to her now, leaning his head on her shoulder as she played with his hair.

“So, I got a movie you might like,” Foggy offered. “It’s one of my favorites at least, and it’s pretty kid friendly.”

“Hm?” came Matty’s response. He typically liked whatever movies Foggy chose. 

“It’s called The Nightmare before Christmas. Have you ever watched it?”

Matty shook his head no.

“Why don’t we give it a try then. It has descriptive audio, so you’ll get more out of it than usual.”

Foggy popped a dvd into their player, and the three settled in.

00

Four hours later, Marci woke in her bed. She’d heard something - someone - yelling.

“Foggy!” She grabbed him, and Foggy’s eyes shot open.

“Wha- Marci? You okay?!”

“Listen,” she hissed, putting a finger in front of her lips to silence him.

There was that sound again - it sounded more like a moan this time. Foggy recognized it immediately.

“He’s having a nightmare,” Foggy explained.

Quickly, he threw on a robe and made his way to the guest room, Marci following right behind him. They noticed that the couch was empty - Karen had been sleeping there - so perhaps Matty’s cries had woken her up too.

They arrived in the room to see Karen sitting at Matty’s bedside, trying to wake him up.

It worked just as Foggy sat next to her, Marci taking a spot on the other side of the bed. Matty shot up, grabbing onto Karen.

“Oh, hey,” Karen wrapped her arms around him. “It’s okay, Matty. You’re okay. You just had a bad dream.”

His breathing was heavy, clearly he’d been terrified of something. Foggy placed a hand on his leg to comfort him, and Matty nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Hey buddy, you’re alright,” Foggy tried to calm him. “Take some deep breaths, it’s okay.” 

Matty did as he was told, then accepted a glass of water from Marci.

When he was finally calm, Foggy spoke again.

“What’d you dream about that got you so worked up?”

Matty’s shoulders slumped. It was stupid. He didn’t want to have to admit what had frightened him so much.

“Was it Oogie Boogie?” Marci asked.

It was as if she could read Matty’s mind. He nodded in agreement, still ashamed.

“I knew it,” she said, rubbing his back. “He gripped my hand so hard when Oogie Boogie came on. You didn’t like him much, did you?” She turned her attention back to Matty.

“His voice… and the bugs…” Matty cringed. 

“I see. Well, the good news is, Oogie Boogie isn’t real, except maybe in Tim Burton’s scary imagination. So he can’t hurt you.”

“I know, Foggy!” Matty said, almost angrily. 

“It’s okay to have nightmares about things that aren’t real, I think everyone does. Do you think you can get back to sleep?”

Matty frowned, and shook his head no again.

“Hmm. What if… just for tonight, we let you sleep in our bed?”

Matty perked up at that.

“Really?”

Foggy looked to Marci, who answered for both of them.

“Really. Come on. Let’s go.”

Foggy helped Matty out of bed, and led him to their bedroom. 

“I’ll be right outside, in the living room, in case Oogie Boogie tries to get you,” Karen joked as she sat back down.

“Thanks, Karen,” Matty replied. “And thanks, Foggy and Marci.”

“Think nothing of it,” Foggy told him. He held up the comforter so Matty could get in the middle of the bed. “Let’s just get some more sleep.”


	2. Thanksgiving (Sleepy Matty)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Babies need lots of sleep :)

Normally, Foggy spent Thanksgiving with his family, but his parents had decided that they weren’t coming up until Christmas. Theo was going off with his girlfriend, so Foggy decided it might be a perfect opportunity to spend the day with Marci, Karen and Matty.

They hadn’t had Matty Time since Halloween, what with work being so busy, so a four day weekend seemed like a great chance to enjoy it. Marci made up the guest room so Matty could stay over, and everyone was assigned dishes to make for their meal.

00

Thanksgiving was cold this year - temperatures dipping below freezing - but Matty had spent the night prior with Foggy and Marci and awoke in a warm bed, wearing cozy soft pajamas.

Marci had read him from one of his favorite stories and he’d fallen asleep with her holding him, keeping all the bad dreams away. She’d slipped away during the night, returning to Foggy in their own room, but Matty had remained asleep.

He lay in bed for a while, enjoying the warmth and comfort of it, until Foggy popped in.

“Good morning!” Foggy greeted him. “Sleep well?”

“Mhmm,” Matty replied, stretching out a bit.

“I’m here to get you changed. Marci’s making her famous pancakes for breakfast. Then we’ll listen to the parade and we can start cooking for dinner. Sound good?”

Matty sat up.

“Sounds good.”

He allowed Foggy to change his diaper and re-dress him in his pajamas before he wandered out of the room, following the scent of pancake batter and chocolate. Marci always made her special holiday pancakes with M&Ms mixed in and whipped cream on top and just the smell of it made Matty’s stomach grumble.

Foggy led him over to the table and Marci placed a plate in front of him containing two pancakes covered in sweets. She proceeded to cut them up for him before allowing him to dig in.

“These are so good, Marc,” Foggy complimented her, smiling as she wiped a bit of chocolate from his chin. “Even better to wear than to eat, isn’t that right Matty?”

Matty laughed at how silly Foggy was being. They discussed the parade as they ate their meal.

“I heard that Gwen Stefani will be performing. And that old boyband - what’s it called? 95 degrees?”

“98 degrees,” Marci corrected him. “Man, that goes back.”

Matty listened quietly. He couldn’t see the parade, but he liked listening to the performers and descriptions of the balloons and the jokes that the hosts made.

When the meal was over, Foggy cleared the plates as Matty followed Marci to the couch. She turned on the television and found the correct channel.

“Here we are. Why don’t you cuddle up and enjoy it while we wash the dishes,” she suggested.

Matty nodded in agreement and pulled a fleece blanket off the back of the couch, wrapping it around himself before curling up on his side to listen.

00

Foggy and Marci joined Matty for a little while, with Matty resting his head on Foggy’s lap. It was supposed to be a relaxing day, at least for Matty. Adult Matt had seemed so stressed lately, over what, Foggy wasn’t sure, and he wanted Matty to get as much rest as possible.

Within an hour, Matty had fallen back asleep, breathing softly and sucking his thumb as Foggy gently rubbed his side. It seemed to relax Matty further, and he snuggled up a little closer. The fact that Matty had fallen back asleep so quickly was testament to how badly he needed this.

“I’m going to start on the turkey,” Marci whispered, careful not to wake Matty. “Maybe get him up in a couple hours, see if he wants to help too.”

Foggy smiled at her and waved her off. He’d ultimately have to get up and help as well, but for now he enjoyed the feeling of having Matty safe and secure against him.

00

Two hours later, Foggy gently nudged Matty, waking him up. The boy grumbled something about more sleep, but Foggy shook him again.

“You can sleep again tonight, Matty. You have to get up so we can help Marci cook. You wanted to do that, right?”

That woke him up. He liked helping Marci cook. She let him measure and pour things and trusted him to do it correctly. It made him feel helpful and happy. Plus, she let him lick the spoon when they made various desserts.

“There’s my handsome boy,” she said as Matty stood up. His hair was splayed in all directions, and he was still in his pajamas, but she thought he was absolutely adorable.

“Ready to help me?”

“Yes!” Matty grinned. “What should I do first?”

“Well, we need to make mashed potatoes and two pies for dessert. If I skin the potatoes, can you get the water going?”

Matty nodded in agreement and moved to find the correct pot for it. He moved efficiently around the kitchen, pulling out salt and measuring water before setting the pot on the stove. When he finished, he turned to Marci for further instructions.

00

It took a whole hour and a half for them to finish mashing the potatoes and making the pies. By the end of it, Matty was covered in flour, so Foggy thought it best to get him bathed and dressed so he would be ready for when Karen arrived.

He led Matty to the bathroom and held him undress, throwing his PJs in the hamper. Then he ran a bath and poured some bubble bath in.

Bathing Matty was usually fairly fun, at least for the boy, because Foggy let him play with toys and he often played along. Usually they had undersea adventures, but sometimes Matty liked to pretend that the water was outer space and that his toys were on a mission somewhere. Foggy asked questions as Matty described the adventure they were going on, and made jokes when he could. As the water began to cool, Foggy helped him wash his hair and scrub his skin, taking pains to wipe the chocolate and pie fillings from Matty’s lips and cheeks. Then he helped Matty up, drained the water and wrapped his boy in a big fluffy towel.

“I gotta dress up tonight?” Matty asked, hoping the answer was no. 

“Nah, it’s just the four of us. We may as well relax. You can wear sweatpants if you want.”

“Yes,” Matty cheered. “So comfy.”

Foggy smiled and took a minute to brush Matty’s hair before leading him to the bedroom.

00

Matty was dressed in his favorite black sweatpants and a comfortable oversized gray sweatshirt that he’d borrowed from Foggy by the time Karen arrived. She brought even more food with her, unloading it on the table while Marci and Foggy greeted her. She hugged Matty upon seeing him, and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

“It’s so cozy up here,” she remarked. “Festive, too.”

“Well, get settled in. We’ll serve up the food soon, hope you brought an appetite,” Foggy told her. “We have a ton of food.”

He hadn’t lied, there really was a great deal of food. Between the turkey, potatoes and pies that Marci and Matty had made, and the stuffing, green bean casserole and cranberry sauce that Karen had brought along, they’d surely have leftovers for days.

Foggy helped set the table, and soon they were all seated. They said a quick grace, something done mostly out of habit for Foggy as it was something his family always did, and began to dig in.

Karen loaded up a plate for Matty before getting food for herself, taking care to cut everything for him. She could tell he was still in his headspace because of how he played with the food rather than eating it.

“That’s a great house you’re building there, buddy, but I think you ought to eat it,” Foggy suggested, looking at the shelter that Matty had built up using stuffing and potatoes.

Matty frowned.

“Come on, baby. It’s really good. Give it a try,” Marci said. “You helped make it with me after all.”

Matty sighed but did as he was told, taking a large spoonful of his potato- stuffing mix. To his surprise, it really was good. Probably the best food he’d had in weeks. It encouraged him to try the other items that Karen had laid out for him. Really, everything was amazing.

It was nice to see Matty eating a decent amount for once, so no one stopped him from taking seconds or thirds of whatever he wanted. The adults joked and drank wine and began to tell funny stories about past times, some of which made Matty laugh. 

Eventually, he began to quiet, leaning back in his chair with one hand rested on his stomach.

“You okay there, Matty? Overdo it on the turkey maybe?”

“Just tired, Foggy,” Matty answered. He was full and warm and happy, but for some reason he just wanted to close his eyes.

“Why don’t you guys go relax for a bit while Karen and I clean up. We need time to gossip,” Marci said, winking at Foggy.

“Sounds good to me. Let me know if you want any help. I can set the table for dessert if you like.”

He stood up, and took Matty’s free hand, pulling him to his feet. They walked back to the sofa and plopped down, Matty taking his customary spot of resting his head on Foggy’s knee. 

“Sleepy again?” Foggy asked quietly. 

“Mhmm.” 

Foggy pulled the blanket around Matty once again.

By the time Marci and Karen had set the table for dessert, Matty was out like a light.

Foggy gently moved Matty him so that his head was resting on a pillow, so that he could stand up. 

“Let him sleep,” Marci said, looking Matty over. “He needs it.”

The three quietly ate dessert as Matty slept, making sure to save him some for later.


	3. Christmas Eve

On the morning of Christmas Eve, Foggy woke to Matty lying in his arms. The boy was breathing softly, slowly, and was snuggled into him as deeply as possible. 

Light streamed through the window, illuminating the room. He could see that there was snow outside. It must have come down overnight. 

Matty shifted, causing Foggy to look at him. He was dressed in a set of blue pajama pants that had little snowmen on them, at some point during the night he must have removed his shirt.

Foggy almost smiled as he looked Matty over. He looked so much better than he had a few months prior. Overall he looked much more rested - the steps that they’d all taken to make sure he slept enough were working. Foggy noticed that Matty had gained weight too. He was nowhere near overweight, but Foggy noticed that he looked softer, broader. The result of everyone making sure that Matt subsisted off of more than just coffee and the fact that he wasn't running around as Daredevil as often.

Even Matt's scars looked better, lighter, though maybe that was the sunlight playing tricks on Foggy's eyes. 

All of it made him happy. It meant that Matt was healthy and safe, and the small smile on Matty's face showed Foggy that he was happy, too.

Matty shifted again, waking up this time. 

“Good morning,” Foggy greeted him.

Matty stretched and rubbed his eyes.

“You stayed,” Matty said, once again resting his head on Foggy's chest. The sound of Foggy's heartbeat grounded him. He'd had such bad nightmares last night. Even though his last dream was good, the feeling of fear and dread remained.

“Of course I did.”

It killed Foggy a little bit how happy Matty was when someone stayed with him. He seemed to constantly expect them to leave. It was another issue that Foggy would have to work on with him.

“Marci's not mad?”

“No, Matty, not at all. She understood how upset you were.”

“Upset” might have been an understatement. Matty had been near hysterical, crying and shaking until they managed to calm him down. Marci didn't even question Foggy staying the night at Matt's side.

“It was a bad dream,” Matty whispered, before putting his thumb in his mouth.

“I know, buddy. But it's okay. Today will make up for it.” 

They stayed in bed until they heard Marci walking around outside.

00

After a breakfast of eggs, bacon and potatoes, Foggy got Matty dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, with a set of long johns underneath. The temperature was low, and he didn’t want Matty catching a cold during their outing.

While he dressed Matty, Marci packed up a bag of items to take with them - some snacks, water, and a backup pair of clothes in case it was needed.

Then they were off, heading towards Pilgrim Hill in Central Park, a sled and a saucer in the trunk of Foggy’s car.

After finding parking, Marci took a moment to look Matty over, making sure to adjust his hat (it was a woolen hat, knitted by Foggy’s great aunt) and scarf, and ensuring that his coat was zippered. He stood there impatiently, waiting for Marci to finish. He wanted to sled! The hill was waiting!

“Alright, get going,” Marci finally said, releasing him. “Help Foggy carry the saucer.”

She trailed behind as Foggy and Matty walked ahead, Foggy scouting for the perfect spot to sled from.

“I think this is it. Far away from the trees, right down the middle,” Foggy announced. 

“Let’s go then!” Matty was nearly jumping around. 

“First time you go with me, then you can try on your own. Deal?” Foggy knew that Matty hadn’t been sledding in many years, and he wanted Matty to get a feel for it.

“Yesss,” Matty answered. “Come on!”

Foggy greased the sled skies with some candle wax, and made sure that Matty was holding on tight to his waist before Marci pushed them off.

Soon, Matty was off on his own, zooming down the hill and running back up to do it again. He raced against Marci and won, and against Foggy and lost. Before they knew it, it was the afternoon.

Seeing as they were all covered in snow, Marci suggested going home to change and have some cocoa. She figured she made the right call judging by how subdued Matty was on the ride home.

00

Hot cocoa with marshmallows had magical powers, Matty decided. He had come back feeling exhausted, but the cocoa had woken him back up. He allowed Foggy to dress him in a new set of clothes before going to help Marci make cookies. He even let her put an apron on him, one that said ‘I cook as good as I look’. Matty thought it was funny.

She led him through making a batch of sugar cookies and one of chocolate chip cookies. They were just starting on a pan of brownies when there was a knock on the door.

Foggy moved to open it, revealing Karen.

“Karen!” Matty called out, dropping the spoon he was mixing with and running over. 

She pulled him into a hug.

“Someone's in a good mood,” she remarked, grinning.

“We went sledding! And had cocoa. With extra marshmallows! And now we're making brownies. Wanna help?”

Karen continued to smile. Seeing Matty so happy and carefree made her heart feel good.

“Sure! I love brownies. Show me what to do.”

Matty grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the kitchen.

“Hey Marci,” Karen greeted, “Guess we’re baking?”

“Yup. We need a ton of desserts for tomorrow. You know how big Foggy’s family is. But we might not have enough if someone keeps eating them,” She cast an eye towards Matty.

Matty quickly tried to hide the sugar cookie he had swiped. Half the fun of baking was sampling the results.

“I’m just kidding. Enjoy it,” Marci reassured him. 

Matty shrugged and took a bite. 

“We’re mixing the brownie batter,” Marci told Karen. “Matty, you on it?”

“Mhmm,” Matty answered around a mouthful of cookie. He shoved the rest in his mouth and began mixing once again.

“Let’s see, we also need some Love Knots, and maybe some oatmeal raisin cookies,” Marci said.

“Just tell me what to do,” Karen replied. 

Marci smiled and handed her the flour.

00

By the time the desserts were done, Foggy’s stomach was growling.

“Time for dinner,” he announced, getting his coat.

Karen took Matty to the bathroom, urging him to try to go before they left, and soon they were back outside. Two stops on the train later they arrived at their destination: Grand Sichuan Chinese Buffet.

The restaurant was decorated for the holiday and was surprisingly full of patrons. They were seated at a table in the back, the waiter passing Matty a braille menu without having to ask.

Soon they were joking and laughing and sharing each other’s food. And when the restaurant’s resident singing waiter came and started crooning “Jingle Bells”, they all sang along.

00

Foggy had been meaning to ask Matty if he wanted to go to church - maybe not Clinton Church, it had too many bad memories, but somewhere else for mass. It was a very special evening after all. But one look at him as they rode the train back told him that it wasn’t a good idea. Even though it was only eight o’clock, the kid looked exhausted. It seemed like once Matty had gotten into the habit of sleeping regularly, he needed it more.

He leaned on Foggy as they walked inside and took the elevator up. When they arrived, Marci suggested that perhaps it was time for Matty to go to bed.

After getting goodnight kisses and hugs from Marci and Karen, Matty followed Foggy into the bathroom, where he was given a quick bath, followed by being changed and dressed. Though he could barely keep his eyes open, Matty requested a story.

“I think I have the perfect one,” Foggy replied. He’d purchased a book just for that evening. “You’ve heard The Night Before Christmas”, right?”

“Long time ago,” Matty answered, before yawning.

“Well we’ll read it again then.” 

Foggy settled in next to Matty, the kid leaning up against him as he read. 

When it was over, Matty yawned again.

“Foggy, is Santa going to come tonight?”

“Of course he is!” Foggy assured him. “And he’s going to leave you a ton of presents.”

“Hm.”

“Why, do you think he won’t?” Foggy questioned.

Matty shrugged.

“I was bad this year. Maybe I’ll get coal.”

“Pfft,” Foggy shook his head. “Everyone has hard times, Matty. You’re a great boy and Santa knows it. I promise you, he’ll be here, and when you wake up you’ll have so many presents to open!”

Matty half smiled. If Foggy promised it, it must be true. He was half tempted to try to stay up to listen, but tiredness got the better of him, and Matty slept soundly through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just like giving Matty the happy times I wish I had as a kid. I hope everyone reading likes this story, it is fun for me to write it.


	4. Christmas Day

“Oof!”

Foggy woke with a start as something - someone, rather - slammed into him.

Cracking open his eyes, he saw Matty kneeling over him.

“Matty. What time is it?”

The question woke Marci, who briefly looked at Foggy and Matty before rolling over.

“Too early.” She answered.

“But Santa came! I wanna open my gifts,” Matty said, not moving from his position.

Foggy sighed. The alarm clock read five am. 

“Let us sleep until seven and we can open presents then,” Foggy replied.

He, Marci and Karen had been up late into the night wrapping gifts and placing them under the tree. Four hours of sleep wasn’t enough. Not on a holiday.

Matty sighed, annoyed.

“Foggggggyyyy,” He whined. “Pleeeeaseee.”

“Seven o’clock!” Foggy repeated. “Go listen to the radio in your room or read one of your braille books until then.”

Matty rolled his eyes but got off the bed. He mumbled something that sounded like ‘boring’ under his breath before stalking out of the room.

00

It took _forever_ for seven to roll around. By the time it did, Matty was bored out of his mind. He’d tried to listen to the radio, but all that was on were Christmas carols and the news. And he couldn’t even listen to it loud, lest he wake Karen with it.

He’d tried to read after that, choosing one of the fairy tale books that had been purchased for him, but all he could think of were the stacks of unopened presents sitting underneath the tree, just waiting for him.

At _exactly_ seven, Matty returned to Foggy and Marci’s room. He was pleasantly surprised to see that both of them were already awake.

“I promised you gifts at seven,” Foggy explained.

Marci looked somewhat annoyed, but when she saw the look of pure excitement on Matty’s face it melted away.

Karen was awake by now, too, having slept on the couch and heard Matty running past her to get to the other room, and the three gathered near the tree.

“Okay,” Foggy said, kneeling near it and picking up a gift, “Let’s see what we have. This one is for Matty, from Santa.” He handed Matty a box.

Matty quickly grabbed it and began to unwrap it, throwing the paper to floor.

“No… no way,” Matty, said feeling the present more thoroughly. “Santa can make ipads?!”

“Santa can make ipads,” Foggy confirmed. “He has a whole tech division, you know. They even wired it up to be voice activated!”

Matty looked stunned, but overjoyed. 

“Santa is awesome!”

“Indeed he is! We can play with it in a little bit. I’m glad you like it though.” He thought of the time that he had spent at the neighbors, having their geeky son load software on it. The look on Matty’s face made it worth it.

“What else do we have,” he searched around before finding another package.

“Ah. To Karen, from Theo.” He passed the package off. Karen opened it to reveal a beautiful scarf.

“Your brother has fantastic taste,” she said, wrapping it around her neck.

“Matty, this one's for you, from my mom.”

Inside was another scarf, hand knit using soft wool. It was a dark red color.

“So soft,” Matty said, rubbing it on his face.

“Mom made it just for you! To make sure you’re warm.”

Matty grinned. Foggy’s mom was the best.

A few more presents were passed out, with Matty receiving smaller gifts like more braille books and candy and the adults receiving more mature items.

Finally, there was one present left. It sat in a small bag behind everything else.

“And this one’s for Marci, and it’s from me.” Foggy handed it off. 

“Oh! Is it that tennis bracelet I wanted?” Marci peered in, taking out a box. “You really didn’t have to -” She stopped speaking upon opening it, taking a moment to think about what she was looking at.

“Foggy, I… Is this…?”

Foggy smiled and moved next to her, kneeling on one knee.

“It is. Marci, will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

Marci stared at him for a moment, stunned. She thought they might get engaged soon, but Foggy hadn’t mentioned it recently at all.

“I- yes!” She answered, slipping the diamond ring onto her finger.

Foggy pulled her into a kiss, which Karen caught on camera

“Congratulations!” she said, giving them both a hug. “I can’t wait for the wedding!”

“You happy too?” Foggy asked Matty, who was giving them a weird look.

“Ew. Kissing like that is gross,” was all he said, even though he was smiling.

00

One of the things that Foggy was worried about, beyond Marci’s reaction to his proposal, was how Matty would act in front of his family. They didn’t know about the ageplay, and he feared that Matty might act in such a way that would be disturbing.

“Try to be good,” Foggy told him, as he buttoned up Matty’s shirt. They had to dress somewhat nice for the day. “My parents don’t know about all of this.”

Matty looked at him almost sadly, but nodded in agreement.

“I won’t cause troubles.”

The way he said the last word, all kid like and adorable, made Foggy’s heart melt a little.

“I know you won’t. You’re a good boy.” He kissed Matty on the forehead.

00

The four rode in Foggy’s car down to the meat shop, where Foggy’s family had gathered. His parents had flown up a few days prior, and instantly spotted the ring on Marci’s finger.

While Foggy and Marci fielded questions and congratulations, Matty wandered off. He could hear Foggy’s nieces and nephews at a nearby table, apparently playing a game.

“Can I play?” Matty asked shyly.

Theresa, Foggy’s niece, grinned at him.

“Of course, Uncle Matt! We’re just playing Monopoly. We didn’t start yet. You wanna be the top hat?”

“Uh. Okay,” Matty answered, taking a seat next to her.

Foggy kept shooting glances at Matty, trying to make sure all was well, but every time he looked all he saw was Matty and his niece and nephew having a good time. Neither seemed to notice that anything was off. Most likely they just assumed that Matt was in a good mood.

After an hour food was served buffet style. Seeing that Foggy and Marci were still busy, Karen took it upon herself to walk with Matty, helping him make up a plate with a little of everything on it. She then led Matty to the table where Foggy and Marci were sitting, pulling out the chair for him. 

“Matt!” Marci’s mom greeted him, reaching over to pinch his cheek. Even if she didn’t know about the ageplay, she still treated Matt like a kid at times. 

“How are you? Merry Christmas!”

Matty smiled at her.

“Hi Mrs. Nelson. Thanks for the scarf!”

Mrs. Nelson grinned. 

“You’re so welcome! I hope you like it. I made it from the softest wool I can find. Only the best for my Matthew!”

Foggy rolled his eyes but chuckled.

“Yeah yeah, Matty gets the best, and the rest of us get the rough multi colored wool.”

“Don’t be jealous, Foggy,” Matty replied, grinning. He was lapping up the attention.

Foggy smiled back at him.

“Soooo jealous. You have no idea. I might just have to steal your scarf when you’re sleeping!”

Matty’s eyes got wide.

“You wouldn’t!”

“If he does I’ll slap him!” Mrs. Nelson joked. “You just tell me if he bothers you and he’ll get the spoon!” She motioned to her purse.

“Oh, mom! Tell me you still don’t keep Woody in there,” Foggy groaned.

“Oh, she does, Fog. And she still hits me with it when I don’t do what she wants,” Theo cut in.

“Woody’s the wooden spoon mom kept in her purse to keep us in line as kids,” Foggy explained. “Not that she ever hit all that hard.”

“My babies were all so good, I barely ever had to use it,” Mrs. Nelson beamed. 

Matty burst out laughing at the idea of Foggy getting smacked with a wooden spoon by his mother. 

“Yeah, yeah you laugh now, wait til you misbehave and she comes after you,” Foggy warned.

“I would never! Matthew is a saint!” Mrs. Nelson hugged him again, and Matty continued to smile.

00

The night proceeded with tons of food and later, drinks, which Foggy and Marci enjoyed as cheers were made to their engagement. Karen was kind enough to act as the designated driver, and had managed to keep Matty away from anything more than a sip of champagne. Everyone left in a jolly mood, piling into Foggy’s car as Karen started up the engine.

“That was fun,” Foggy announced, sitting in the backseat with Marci. “You have fun, guys?”

“Your family parties are the best,” Marci agreed. “Though maybe your mom can back off with the questions about grandkids? We aren’t even married yet!”

Karen, Foggy and Marci all laughed. Mrs. Nelson had indeed been after Marci about that several times throughout the evening.

“What about you, Matty, you have a good time with the Nelson clan?” Foggy asked.

Matty grinned sleepily. It was late, later than he was used to staying up, especially lately.

“Your mom likes me more than she likes you,” he said, turning to stick his tongue out at Foggy.

“Indeed she does, indeed she does,” Foggy answered, “How could she not, seeing as how adorable you are.”

While the words may have sounded sarcastic, Matty could hear the happiness in Foggy’s voice. Foggy, for his part, was glad that Matty found a place where he felt as if he belonged. 

The drive back to Foggy’s apartment was quiet. A light snow began to fall as they walked into his building. Matty followed along, letting Karen lead him throughout the hallways, then yawned as they approached the door.

“Okay, I think it’s time for bed,” Foggy said, looking at Matty. “It’s waaaay passed your bedtime.”

“I wanna play with my ipad,” Matty replied, giving Foggy puppy dog eyes.

“Ergh, that look,” Foggy groaned playfully. “I swear he can make me do anything with that look. Okay, fine. Twenty minutes with the ipad, then bed. Fair?”

Matty nodded in agreement and followed them inside.


	5. New Years Eve

Matt woke up on the morning of New Years Eve feeling that something was off. His head hurt, his nose was stuffed and he felt generally achy.

It wasn’t a huge surprise, he’d been feeling an illness coming on for at least a day, but he had hoped that his body would be able to fight it and he’d be well in time for the evening’s party.

He stayed in bed for a while longer, focusing on the best way to get through the morning. Even though his nose was stuffed, he could still hear well, and the sound of excessive amounts of people coming into the city to watch the ball drop was killing his ears and making his headache worse.

Frowning, he finally sat up. There was nothing for it but to take some medicine and get through the day. There was no way that he was going to bother Foggy or anyone else about it. They’d been so excited for the get together, and he was sure they’d cancel it if they knew.

He pressed the button on his phone in order to learn the time. Noon. It wasn’t even morning anymore - he’d overslept big time. He’d planned to go to the gym that morning and get a workout in before heading to Foggy’s to help him and Marci cook and set up.

He definitely wasn’t feeling up to a workout, so instead he headed to the shower, hoping that the hot water might do him some good.

00

A hot shower, two Dayquil and three ibuprofen later, Matt was dressed and on his way to see his friends. The guest list for the evening was small, but Marci wanted everything to be perfect, as this was her chance to announce her engagement.

Just the four block walk tired him out, though, and that worried him a bit. If he was lagging this early on, making it midnight would be difficult. Sighing, he made his way into the building, hoping that Foggy might have some of that strong Colombian coffee that he was so fond of.

00

“Matt!” Marci greeted him, pulling him into a hug. “Thanks for coming!”

Matt forced a smile. 

“Of course. Happy to help.”

She led him inside, where Foggy and Karen were already working in the kitchen.

“Hey Matt! Come on over,” Foggy called out. “We can use some extra hands here.”

Normally Matt could tell what was being made based on smell of the ingredients alone, but it wasn’t an option today. 

“What are we making?” He asked casually, walking towards his friends.

“Right now we’re working on a tray of baked ziti. Can you mix the ricotta and spices?” Foggy asked. Then it hit him. “Wait a minute - you asked what we were doing. You okay, buddy?”

“Hm?” Matt put on his best nonchalant expression. “I’m fine, Fog. My nose is just dried out from the cold air outside.”

Foggy eyed him warily.

“You sound like you’re all stuffed up, though.”

Matt forced another smile.

“Me? Nah. I feel fine.”

He could _feel_ Foggy staring at him, studying him.

“You’d tell us if you were sick, right?” Foggy questioned. “Because we’ve been over this. If you’re not feeling well we want to know.”

Matt frowned. Part of him really did want to tell the truth, but he couldn’t stand to disappoint his friends so greatly.

“I’m really fine. Promise.”

He could tell that Foggy didn’t believe him. Karen didn’t, either. Thankfully, Foggy let it go.

“Right. Because if you were sick, it would be best for you not to cook with us. You might get other people sick by touching the food.”

Matt hadn’t considered that. Foggy was right, he could definitely spread his germs that way. He’d need an excuse.

“Hey, I can go help Marci set up the buffet table if it makes you feel safer. Or hang decorations,” he offered.

Foggy shook his head and rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, okay. Go help with that.”

As soon as Matt was out of the room, Foggy glanced at Karen, who nodded her head in silent agreement: Matt was definitely unwell.

00

Matt worked with Marci for two hours, putting up streamers and blowing up balloons (an act that made him dizzier than he cared to admit). They finished putting up a buffet table and laying out plates at the same time that Foggy and Karen finished cooking.

“Well, I’m beat,” Foggy said, looking at Karen and Marci, silently urging them to go along with him. “I think I might go take a shower and nap for a bit before the guests arrive, if that’s okay with you guys.”

“Of course,” Karen answered, “I’m actually kinda tired too. I was out late last night at another holiday party, didn’t get much sleep. Maybe I’ll watch some television while you sleep.”

She looked at Marci, who quickly spoke up.

“I’m going to go lie down with Foggy, then. Matt, you’re welcome to use the guest room if you’d like to relax for a bit, or stay with Karen and watch tv. Whatever you want.”

Matt considered this. If everyone else was going to rest, he may as well too, but going to sleep would blow his cover for sure. Foggy was used to him having nearly endless energy.

“I’ll listen to whatever Karen puts on,” Matt replied.

Karen and Foggy smiled at each other.

“Great. See you in a few hours then,” Foggy said, taking Marci’s hand and leading her to their bedroom.

00

Karen flipped through the channels, trying to find something interesting. Matt sat next to her on the couch, his posture rigid, as if he was forcing himself to sit perfectly straight.

“You look so uncomfortable. Here,” she put a pillow on her lap. “Why don’t you lie down? You can listen just as good from that position.”

God, the offer was so tempting. Matt was sitting the way he was in an attempt to stay awake. Laying down would hasten his exhaustion.

But the way Karen sounded… She seemed to want contact with him. And he was a Murdock, after all. If he could fight baddies all night, he could force himself to stay awake for a few hours even if he was lying down.

00

Karen ran her hand through Matt’s hair as he dosed with his head on her lap. It had only taken him twenty minutes to fall asleep. The blanket that she’d draped over him had been what did it, she thought. Even he couldn’t resist the feeling of being warm and safe and snuggled with.

Listening closely, she could hear that his breathing was off. His nose was stuffy and he was breathing through his mouth intermittently. Besides that, he looked extremely pale. His head felt warm, too, indicating that perhaps he had a low grade fever.

Foggy appeared in the doorway.

“Is he sleeping?” He mouthed.

Karen nodded ‘yes’.

“I think he’s really sick,” she mouthed back.

Foggy nodded in agreement and held up his phone. Texting while the phone was on silent was easier than mouthing things to each other.

Seconds later, Karen’s phone lit up. 

_Marci is texting everyone now_ the message read.

_Probably for the best_ Karen typed back. _He’s exhausted._

Matt snuffled in his sleep feeling Karen’s hand move from his scalp. She quickly replaced it, and he calmed once again.

00

Matt woke a few hours later, feeling worse than he did before. It irritated him. Not only did he fall asleep unintentionally, but now he was even sicker.

“Hey, you,” Karen whispered, seeing his eyes open.

“Hi,” Matt answered. 

“Sleep well?”

“Didn’t mean to fall asleep,” he responded, pushing himself into a sitting position.

“It’s okay. Everyone else rested too, remember?”

“Hmph.”

“No need to pout, Matty,” came Foggy’s voice. And at that moment, Matt realized that he was actually pouting. He made an effort to change his expression to a more neutral one, but he still felt upset.

“What time is it?”

“Six o’clock,” Foggy told him. “You were out for a while.”

At that moment, Matt’s lungs decided to rebel against him, and he fell into a coughing fit. Instantly, Foggy was by his side and Karen’s hand was on his back.

It was too much. He couldn’t handle it. He felt so awful - now his hearing was coming and going in waves, and he felt so cold, and his body hurt, and now his lungs were going, too?! Tears began to form in his eyes, and he felt much younger than he had just a few moments prior. 

“Oh, no no,” Karen said, wrapping an arm around him. “No need for that!”

Matt, or Matty, rather, sniffled. Karen felt good. Warm. 

A tissue was pressed to his cheeks, wiping away his tears, but more kept coming.

“When is everyone coming?” He asked, despite his crying.

There was silence. Matty knew what that meant.

“You told them not to come,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry…” And it just made him cry harder.

“It’s fine!” Foggy told him, “Really, it is. There’s nothing better than spending the night with my best friends and my fiance, that beats out any party any time,” Foggy tried to reassure him.

His heart beat steady, indicating that he wasn’t lying, but Matty could still sense the disappointment Foggy felt.

And Marci - oh, man. This was supposed to be Marci’s party, where she could show off her ring and talk about wedding plans!

As if reading his mind, Marci came in and stood next to Foggy.

“Matty, baby. It’s okay,” she said, rubbing his arm. “We can have a party another day.”

“You made all this food, and we decorated, and now it’s ruined,” Matty said, before coughing again.

“So, we’ll have some people over tomorrow or something. Or we can freeze it and eat it during the week. It’s not the worst thing in the world! Tonight we’ll just relax here, watch the ball drop and enjoy ourselves.”

Matty heard her, but he was still coughing. It was rough, each bout tensing up his muscles. It made his chest and stomach hurt and he groaned when it was finished. He felt Karen rub his back again and he leaned into her, resting his head on her shoulder. He just wanted comfort right then.

Karen pulled him close and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders. Foggy appeared with another one and added it on top.

“You just rest,” Karen told him. “We’ll hang out here. Come on, Matty. Close your eyes.”

Matty sniffed, trying to get his breathing under control. The steady rhythm of Karen’s hands and heartbeat helped. Someone - Marci, he thought - kneeled in front of him in order to be eye level, and pressed a tissue to his nose.

“Blow,” she instructed.

Matty did as he was told. It didn’t help all that much, but at least his nose wasn’t actively running anymore.

A hand ran through his hair. Marci’s hand.

“Just relax, Matty. It’s okay.”

He nodded and closed his eyes again, resuming his place resting on Karen’s lap.

00

The closer it got to midnight, the more people poured into the city. All were headed either to bars and restaurants to towards Times Square. The sound of it made it near impossible for Matty to sleep.

Foggy and Marci were sitting in the living room, enjoying glasses of wine as the sun went down. The sound of their laughter, along with Karen’s as they told jokes, cheered Matty up a bit, especially as they told stories that he hadn’t heard. He thought he’d heard all of Foggy’s weird family tales, but apparently he still had some that he hadn’t told.

As Foggy was going on about how he used to move furniture while sleepwalking as a kid, Matty’s stomach growled. He blushed, knowing that the others heard it. 

“You hungry, Matty?” Karen asked. 

Matty hid his face in one of the blankets. He’d totally forgotten to eat that day and was starving, but he didn’t want to draw more attention to himself.

Karen rolled her eyes. 

“Marci, Foggy, a little help here?”

Matty heard footsteps, and within a few minutes, a fork was pressed to his lips. Someone had given Karen a plate of the pasta that they’d made earlier.

“Open up,” Karen told him. 

Matty opened his mouth and accepted the food. It was a somewhat awkward position, but honestly, it beat getting up and feeding himself.

Karen fed him slowly but consistently, making sure he finished off the whole plate of food before using a napkin to wipe his face. Now that he wasn’t starving, he felt slightly less grumpy. His change in demeanor was apparent to the others.

“Feeling better now?” Karen asked.

“Mhmm,” Matty mumbled. He looked up at Karen with puppy dog eyes. “You rub my head?” he asked softly.

Karen smiled.

“Sure.” She touched his hair again, making him sigh at the feeling of it. He began to drift off once again, but every time he did, the sound of the crowds outside woke him. 

Eventually, there were footsteps and he felt Foggy rub his arm.

“I have noise cancelling earbuds,” he explained. “Want to try them?”

Matty nodded.

“Please?”

Foggy placed one in Matty’s ear then helped move him so he could place the other. Instantly, the majority of the noise ceased, and Matty felt like he could finally rest.

00

The countdown came up quickly. Foggy, Marci and Karen watched it on the television, still drinking and chatting and laughing, but at a quiet enough level as not to disturb Matty.

As midnight struck, Marci and Foggy kissed and cheered. Karen shook Matty’s arm gently and the boy opened his eyes.

“Mm?” He questioned sleepily.

“It just passed midnight. We wanted to wish you happy new year.”

Matty smiled.

“I slept through it,” he noted.

Karen nodded, “Yes, but that’s okay.”

“Happy new year Matty!” Foggy called out, making Matty smile moreso.

“Yes, happy new year!” Marci added.

“Sorry I ruined it,” Matty said, his smile faltering.

“Nah, you didn’t,” Foggy said, patting him on the shoulder.

Matty felt Karen’s lips on his forehead as she gave him a kiss.

“You should know by now that there’s no one else we’d rather spend the day with than you. Even if you’re sleeping,” she assured him.

Her heart beat steady, as did Foggy and Marci’s. They were telling the truth. Matty smiled to himself again before snuggling deeper into the covers.


End file.
